Child of the Wilderness
by Naurring
Summary: Glorfindel makes a stunning discovery in the woods that will change his life. Slash
1. Chapter 1

Title: Child of the Wilderness, Chapter 1  
Disclaimer: Nothing mine, everything belongs to Tolkien  
Word count: 1014/1014  
Pairing: Glorfindel/Erestor  
Rating: PG-13  
Warning: Nothing for now  
Summary: Glorfindel makes a stunning discovery in the woods that will change many peoples' lives.  
AN: The bunny bit me in pedagogy lessons quite a while ago when discussing a certain topics which I won't name now to not take the suspense away.

* * *

Slowly he crept through the underwoods, his panting breath forming tiny clouds in the freezing cold of winter. He could hear his companions moving around him, carefully sneaking through the bushes, careful, listening. Sniffing he searched for the scent of the deer, fleeing from the hungry wolves. The animals were following its trail as sure as a deep path in the snow, ever deeper into the forest. It would not escape. 

Suddenly a strange sound caught his attention, making him freeze and turn his head. The sound had come from beside them, the sound of something large moving through the wood. An unusual smell invaded his nostrils, unlike everything he had ever remembered. Yet, there was something strangely familiar about this scent. Carefully he started to move again, creeping towards the source of the sound and the smell.

A short time later movement appeared in front of him, bits of white and brown hide flashing through the bushes. Those were horses, he recognized after another moment. He had seen them before; a few of them lived wild in the valley and sometimes came into the forest, having escaped from wherever they lived before.

But they were not alone. There were two other creatures with them, sitting on their backs, making many different sounds. Though it was different from whatever he had heard it made him listen. There was something about this that made the hairs at the back of his neck stand up and made him think he should recognize all this.

A movement beside him made him turn his head. It was one of the other wolves hunting with him, moving forward. Carefully the group followed the horses with their riders, watching the strangers, making sure they presented no danger to them.

* * *

The two elves slowly rode deeper into the forest, following the trail of the deer they had been hunting. Usually nobody ventured this deep into the woods, but the winter had been long and hard. Even though the temperature had been rising slightly in the last few days and the neverending snowfalls had stopped it was still freezing cold and the snow covered the ground in a thick blanket.

"Perhaps we should return", Gildor said softly. Somehow it seemed unfitting to disturb the peace of this wood with too much noise. "It is probably already gone long, anyway. We don't even know our way here, we won't find it."

Glorfindel nodded absentmindedly, still scanning his surroundings. The long, cold months of winter had eaten a deep hole into their supplies, quite literally, and even though they didn't need to worry about what to eat yet this deer would have presented a welcome prey.

Suddenly his horse stopped and snorted nervously, shaking his head and backing up.

Gildor was just about to turn around to his friend to see what had happened, when his own horse shied away as well.

"What is this?" Gildor exclaimed, trying to bring his horse under control.

It took the two elves some minutes until they managed to calm their horses down. The animals were still nervous, looking about nervously, still trying to back away but their riders kept them where they were. They were clearly uncomfortable with their current position and wanted to leave this place, but at least they obeyed again.

Panting slightly with surprise Gildor sat on his horse, gently stroking the animal's strong neck. "What on Arda was that?" He leaned down to his horse, scratching his ears. "What frightened you so, my boy?"

Glorfindel sat on his own horse, watching the woods, more careful this time. He noticed something move behind some bushes, something grey, and then two bright eyes passed by, settling behind another bush. "Wolves," he simply said.

Gildor sat up straight again and scanned the area. After some time he also saw the wolves Glorfindel had detected quite some time before him. The blond elf didn't speak much, but there was barely anything that slipped his attention. Usually he noticed things far earlier than everybody else.

Gildor nodded, already turning his horse around. "We should probably ride back. I don't think they are a threat as long as we don't present a danger for them. The horses won't go further, anyway."

Glorfindel didn't answer nor had Gildor expected him to, he simply turned his horse around and started to ride back the way they had come. Together they made their way to the wood, quietly followed by the wolves. Glorfindel kept his eyes on the silent, moving shadows in the bushes. The animals watched them, making sure they left this area and didn't return. Suddenly something in the underwoods caught his attention and Glorfindel reined his horse abruptly.

Gildor halted his horse as well, surprised by his companions actions. "Glorfindel," he called softly. "What is it? Did you see some prey?"

Glorfindel's eyes narrowed, piercing the darkness of the wood. There, behind some bushes and between two trees, moved something. He couldn't make it out exactly, but he was pretty sure that it wasn't a wolf. He caught some glimpses of pale, creamy skin and pitch black hair, but nothing more and it wasn't enough to make out what he had seen. After an instant the creature was gone again. He let his gaze sweep over the bushes and the trees, trying to find it again, but without success.

Slowly he shook his head to answer Gildor's question and gave his horse the sign to move again.

Gildor glanced at the other elf curiously, but he knew him well enough by now to know that nothing would bring him to talk if he didn't want to. So he simply let the matter rest.

Slowly they left the deeper parts of the woods and returned into the lighter parts where they usually hunted. The wolves started to leave them alone, content that they had vanished from their home.

Glorfindel turned to look back at the animals, still hiding, but visible to the elven eyes. He tried to catch another glimpse of what he had seen earlier, but there was nothing but the wolves.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Still the same, nothing is mine, all Tolkien's and Co.

Word count: 2488/3502

**Chapter 2**

It was late at night as he finally entered his rooms, wrapped into a warm robe, his hair still damp from having taken a hot bath upon his return. Even though they had searched for a long time and ventured far into the woods they had not been able to find any game and finally they had given up, cold, hungry and tired, and had hurried back home.

Glorfindel didn't bother to light any candles; the moon shone brightly in the sky, filling his chambers with silvery light. He poured himself a glass of wine, stepping up to the huge glass doors leading to his balcony, staring out into the night. He shivered slightly in the cold that seeped through the windows, but it didn't matter. He had felt the cold of death, the cold of life couldn't harm him anymore.

Sipping his wine his gaze travelled across the valley to the wood where Gildor and he had hunted earlier. His thoughts kept turning back to the strange encounter deep in the woods and he wasn't able to shake off the feeling that he had missed the most important part. Glorfindel had seen much in his former life and even though this new lifetime was still very young he knew what a wolf looked like. The creature in the woods had not been one of them.

Gildor had asked him several times on their way back what he had seen there, noticing how his usually already quite friend had grown even quieter. But Glorfindel hadn't known what to answer and had remained silent. Gildor wouldn't have believed him anyway. The warrior was not somebody who believed easily; he was the kind of person who needed to see with his own eyes to know things were true. If he heard strange theories about a creature that was no wolf, yet acted like one and hunted with their pack, it was very possible that he would have laughed at his friend, understandably so. Even to Glorfindel himself his suspicions sounded quite ridiculous.

He smiled slightly as he thought about how different it would have been in Gondolin. Back then, Glorfindel had been quite the chatty person, always eager to talk and laugh with his fellows and to make the acquaintance of new people. But death had changed him, though he didn't really know what had brought about this change. He remembered almost nothing from his time in the Halls of Waiting. It was as if all his memories had been erased and all that remained were uncertain feelings; and none of them were pleasant ones. To think of the Halls of the Dead always made his skin crawl and he felt himself shudder.

Whatever he had experienced there, beyond the veils of life, had turned him into a quiet person. These days Glorfindel rarely spoke with anyone and kept to himself. When he had first returned to the world of the living some years ago all he had felt was confusion, suddenly finding himself thrust back into life, into a world that was nothing like the one he had left. He had simply wanted some time for himself, to think and to sort things out, but most of the elves of the Grey Havens hadn't understood his need and no matter where he went, he had always been surrounded by curious elves wanting to talk to him, wanting to touch his famed golden hair, wanting to hear about the Halls of Mandos, about Gondolin, about everything. Glorfindel had felt like a rabbit trying to hide from a hawk and after just a few days he had even been too frightened to leave his room, knowing just too well that there would be a horde of elves waiting for him if he did.

Finally he had left, not able to bear their constant nagging any longer, even if they meant no harm, and he had ended up in Rivendell. He felt far more comfortable here, but this experience still clung to him and he rather kept to himself and rarely joined others for company. In fact, the only elf he spent time with on a regular basis was Gildor. He still had no idea how they had managed to become friends, but they had, and they often spend their free time together, both finding satisfaction in the arrangement. Gildor respected Glorfindel's wish for silence most of the time and was eager to talk to him whenever his friend felt the need for conversation. He himself equally relished their meetings, enjoying not being surrounded by people trying and saying anything to get his attention and approval. It could hardly be avoided as Captain of Rivendell, but he much preferred to spend time with someone who could also keep his mouth shut and did not babble without end.

Save for Gildor there was only one other elf Glorfindel dared to confide in, the Lord of Rivendell himself. Elrond had been very understanding from the very beginning on, not hesitating one second to open his doors for the stranger when Círdan told him of the reborn warrior's wish to leave the Grey Havens. He had also made sure that the inhabitants of the Last Homely House knew to keep their distance and for the most part everyone had followed this order.

Glorfindel was slowly pulled out of his brooding when the clear call of a wolf echoed through the night, followed by a second answering call before the rest of the pack fell in. Staring at the small dark silhouettes of the trees far way Glorfindel wondered if this was the same pack they had seen earlier in the woods, and if the strange creature was with them. He listened for some minutes to the singing wolves, finishing his glass of wine. Finally he turned around, stepping back into his chamber with a last glance at the wood in the distance, sighing quietly. He left the curtains to the balcony open so that the light of the moon could fall into his chamber, moving away from the big windows. Slowly he started to strip, from time to time casting a glance outside, from where the calls of the animals drifted in.

He could not let this matter rest. Besides his chattiness there had been other traits he had been known for in Gondolin and to those belonged his great curiosity and stubbornness. And other than his wish to speak those one had not been diminished by his stay in the Halls of Waiting in the least. He was going to find out what was hiding in the woods.

* * *

Asfaloth snorted angrily, not liking it at all that she was forced to leave her warm, dry stable on a day like this. The snow covered the ground in a thick blanket, nearly reaching her belly, and she had to lift her legs high to be able to move forward. She had tried to make it clear to her master what she thought of his idea to go out on a day like this, but he hadn't listened to her and had insisted on leaving, even though the sky had just opened once more and it was beginning to snow. He had not even agreed to leave those dogs behind. The animals were following behind them in the path Asfaloth drew with her body in the deep snow, tails wagging excitedly and bright eyes surveying their surroundings, apparently far happier with their excursion than the horse.

Glorfindel himself was bundled up tightly in several layers of cloth to protect himself from the cold. Humans always thought that elves were unresponsive to any change in temperature, but that was not quite right. They felt the cold as much as any other creature; it just did not affect them in the same way. But as he intended to spend quite some time outside on this day Glorfindel had clothed himself in warmer garments than usual. Even an elf would get cold if he sat in the snow for too long.

Slowly the small group made their way through the valley, heading towards the wood where Gildor and he had hunted a few days ago. Glorfindel himself wasn't quite sure if this was a good day to go out, looking for whatever it was he had seen there, but something had told him that today would be a good opportunity, especially as most of the other elves were gathered in the Hall of Fire, drinking, singing and making merry. Glorfindel much preferred the quite peace of the snow covered valley to the noisy warmth of the house.

The wood appeared in front of them; the dark skeletons of the trees only dark shadows behind the curtain of falling snow. Asfaloth's trot grew slightly faster, eager to get under the trees, where the ground would not be covered quite as thick with snow as on the open field.

Even though they had by far not yet reached the part of the wood where the mysterious encounter had taken place Glorfindel already looked at his surroundings attentively, noticing every paw print in the snow and every spark of colour in the white of the ground.

But even though there was no lack of tracks on the frozen and snow covered ground – not long ago a doe had crossed the path Asfaloth was following just now; over there, vanishing behind a bush, were the tracks of a fox and a short distance away a squirrel had upended one of its hiding places – there was nothing that seemed to be either a wolf or an animal Glorfindel could not place. Glorfindel couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed, despite knowing full well that they hadn't entered deep enough yet to have a chance of discovering one of the wolves. He told himself to be patient, but still he couldn't keep his eyes from scanning the ground.

The further they rode into the woods the more anxious Asfaloth grew, turning her raised ears frantically in all directions, nostrils wide to catch even the faintest scent that might indicate danger. She remembered only too well the last time she had been in this area and had been stalked by a pack of wolves. She really did not intend to end her life in the belly of a wolf and neither should Glorfindel. She feared for the poor elf. He did not seem to be aware at all in which danger they were both heading. She considered simply turning around and running away, to save his life and of course hers as well. But she doubted Glorfindel would see her good intention. The only thing he'd do would be forcing her to turn around and go back, which would only result in them being out even longer until he had done what he had come for. In the end Asfaloth settled for some snorting, warningly, trotting deeper into the woods to get done with it as quickly as possible.

Glorfindel extended a hand, gently patting the horse's neck. "It's alright," he murmured quietly. "I won't let them eat you." They were drawing closer to the wolves' area and he didn't need Asfaloth's nervous behaviour to tell him this. Glorfindel's gaze fell upon something in the snow and he made Asfaloth halt in her steps, dismounting to examine his discovery more closely.

It was indeed the paw print of a wolf. And it was a fresh one.

A content smile crossed Glorfindel's face. At least he knew know that he was on the right track. A low growl behind him caught his attention. Slowly he turned around, partly expecting to see the owner of the paw print there. Instead his gaze fell upon the dogs he had taken with him. The animals were growling quietly, ears flattened in a dangerous angle, teeth bared, staring at a spot somewhere in front of them, hidden by trees and bushes.

Slowly Glorfindel rose from the ground, careful not to make any quick or threatening movements. He trusted in the animals' instinct and combined with the traces on the ground he could only too well imagine what had made their hackles rise. With a movement of his hand he told the dogs do stay where they were and the pets reacted instantly, ceasing their growling and settling onto the ground next to Asfaloth, ready to protect her.

Content that the animals were as safe as they were going to be Glorfindel started to carefully creep forward, making his way through bushes and trees. Part of him knew how dangerous his actions were, advancing on a pack of probably half starved wolves, without even the protection of the two dogs he had left behind, but his curiosity demanded to be satisfied and he counted on the wolves instinct to tell them he meant no harm.

His heart started to beat fast in his chest as he finally saw movement in front of him, accompanied by soft growling and the clear sound of snapping teeth. Halting his breath in expectation Glorfindel knelt down to push the twigs of some bushes aside, allowing himself a better view onto what was in front of him.

There, just a few metres away, lay the carcass of a small deer in the snow. The animal's limbs were frozen stiff, probably having died from the cold and lack of food. Apparently others were quite happy over the deer's death, however. Two wolves were tearing at the body, ripping bits of meat out now and then and swallowing them hastily. The wolves, however, were not what caught Glorfindel's attention.

It was the elf next to them, equally thrusting his head into the deer's belly, feasting on the softer bits of the entrails. He was as thin and starved as his wolfish companions; even from where Glorfindel was hiding he could see every single rib sticking out under the pale, slightly blue tinted flesh. His long, black hair was a knotted mass of hair, twigs, leaves and the Valar knew what else. There was also no mistaking that the elf was male.

A loud growl drew Glorfindel from his stupefied trance. One of the wolves had stopped in his meal, staring right at him, making it clear he would not hesitate to protect his prey. Instantly the other two reacted, turning their attention away from the carcass at their feet and to the elf hiding behind the bushes.

Glorfindel stared mesmerized at the elf in front of him, moving on all fours, mouth opened wide in a more than threatening growl. He would have loved to continue to watch the elf and the wolves, but the gesture was unmistakable, and he didn't want to try his luck. As quickly as he could without giving the impression of presenting any danger Glorfindel withdrew from his hiding place, carefully making his way back to where he had left Asfaloth with the dogs.

---------

As already mentioned, this story is the result of for once being attentive in pedagogy lessons when discussing the topic of feral children, (http://en. children who have apparently lived and/or been raised by animals, in most cases by wolves or dogs. There some doubts as in how far this is fact or fantasy, but for this story I'll just assume it's possible. I'll also try to stay as close to the pedagogical facts concerning such a case, but for the sake of the story I'll take some liberties (and as he's an elf and not a human). I apologize in advance for slow updates, but this story involves lots of research, wolf and pedagogy wise, so I probably won't be able to give you weekly updates. Hope you stay tuned, nonetheless.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Still the same, nothing is mine, all Tolkien's and Co.

Word count: 1309/4813

AN: Someone mentioned for the last chapter how they didn't like it what I said about the Halls of Waiting being a bad place. Unfortunately it was an anonymous review and the person hasn't left any email addy so I'll answer to that this way. I don't think being dead is something the human or even the elven mind can grasp, be it in life or death. It's such a strange and abstract concept that the mind simply refuses to take in any clear images from the place surrounding them. Yes, you are right, Mandos' halls are a place of healing and contemplation. But healing isn't necessarily a nice process. Most of the time it's painful and tiring, especially if you need to come to terms with being dead. The idea was rather that he can't remember anything from his time there, his mind having blocked out everything, and the few memories he has, the bad memories, stem from going through the painful process of healing.

Chapter 3

Elrond was studying Glorfindel closely, leaning back in his chair. He had come to Glorfindel's rooms at the end of the day, when the blond elf expressed his wish to speak to him in private, but what he had told him made Elrond start to doubt his sanity. He had always known that death and his rebirth had done strange things to the elf, but now he wondered how far exactly he had been influenced by it.

"An elf?" The half elf raised his glass of wine, sipping slowly, whilst he stared out through the balcony's glass windows on the snowy valley that lay hidden in the dark of the night. "You say there is an elf outside? In the woods, living with a pack of wolves?"

Glorfindel nodded, moving his fingers over the smooth surface of his own glass. He could already tell that Elrond was not going to believe him. This came not really as a surprise; if their roles were reversed he would probably have had the same doubts as the half elf now. He had not expected Elrond to simply take his word for granted, but he had felt the need to talk with someone about what he had seen, even if only to sort his own thoughts, and for this Elrond was always a good choice.

"I saw him, Elrond," Glorfindel repeated his words quietly. "He was there, feeding with them."

Elrond furrowed his brow, looking down into his glass, slowly moving its contents around. "Glorfindel… I hope you understand if I say that I find this hard to believe. An elf with a pack of wolves. In a winter like this. They would have torn him apart by now."

"He is there," Glorfindel repeated, looking directly at Elrond.

The two elves stared at each other silently for a few moments. "You are not going to do anything about this," Glorfindel concluded calmly, having expected nothing more.

Elrond slowly shook his head. "I am sorry, Glorfindel, but your story is really hard to believe, and I do not think that this could be possible under any circumstances. Perhaps you did not look right. The light in the woods can play many tricks."

Glorfindel drained his glass, putting it back onto the table. "I saw him. I can't force you to believe me, but he is there."

Elrond smiled at him, draining his glass as well, rising from his chair. "I am sure he is, my friend, if you say so," Elrond reassured the blond elf quietly, moving to the doors. "I will think about this, and decide what to do." He looked at Glorfindel, hesitating for a moment before turning around. "You have been out often and long these last few days. Perhaps you are just exhausted. You should rest for a while."

Glorfindel did not answer, listening to his advice silently and leading his guest to the door before opening it for him.

Elrond's gaze was fixed on his friends face, feeling slightly guilty for not being able to give the blond the help he had wished for. "I am sorry," he repeated truthfully, hating to disappoint his friend like that.

Glorfindel nodded calmly in acknowledgement, bidding farewell to the half elf for the night before closing the door. For some moments he stood before his balcony, looking towards the woods in the distance where the mysterious elf was hunting with his pack of wolves. Even if Elrond did not believe him, he knew that he was there. Finally he turned around, going to sleep.

* * *

The days passed and still winter didn't seem ready to give way to spring. It had lost none of its hardness and by now even the most winter loving elves wished for spring to arrive. Nearly every day Glorfindel had ventured into the woods, looking for the wolves. He couldn't stop thinking about the elf out there and he found himself constantly drawn to him. Up to now he had found nothing and most of the time he didn't even find a hair of the wolves. Just once he had come upon the prints of naked feet and hands in the snow, but the elf itself had stayed elusive.

Glorfindel knew that most of the other elves thought him to be insane. They probably didn't know of his reasons for going there, but even going out into such a weather and such a cold was enough to make them shake their heads. Glorfindel himself kept trying to tell himself that it was probably useless and that it wasn't worth to freeze every day on a search that probably wouldn't lead to anything more. But still he continued his journeys into the woods.

And like always there was nothing when he arrived this time, save for the untouched snow.

He searched for a while, but he did not see anything that meant anything to him. Disappointed Glorfindel looked on, guiding Asfaloth through the trees, but finally he was ready to give up for the day, his fingers already being stiff and half frozen. He was just about to turn around and return to the house when the dogs regularly accompanying him on these trips started to bark and growl at something in front of them, ears drawn back.

Glorfindel stared at the bushes blocking the way for some time, wondering if it was even worth the effort to just find a fox or a rabbit in the end, but finally he still dismounted, heading in that direction. One never knew what one would find and perhaps today the Valar were in his favour. Walking slowly, carefully, he made his way through the bushes, eyes fixed tightly on the place ahead of him.

When he finally saw what had caught the dogs' attention Glorfindel stopped dead in his tracks, his breath catching. Staring at the figure lying in the cold snow, Glorfindel simply stood there, unable to move. The dark haired elf lay sprawled in the thick snow, his position indicating that he had moved to curl up as it was the want of wolves. He did not move and even from the distance the elf's skin seemed to be completely white.

Looking about carefully, making sure no of the other wolves were near, Glorfindel tore himself free of the paralysis that had gripped him and slowly advanced on the elf. He did not even move a finger as Glorfindel drew near; neither did he open his eyes. Glorfindel hoped he was merely unconscious. He didn't like to think about what it'd mean if he weren't.

Gently Glorfindel reached out and pushed the dark hair back from the elf's face. The skin was icy cold when he touched it. Anxiously Glorfindel searched for a pulse on the pale throat and breathed a sigh of relief when he found one, weak as it was. He lived. Yet. Without even thinking about it Glorfindel pushed his arms under the elf's body and lifted him in his arms. The elf would die if he stayed out here in the cold, with no food, and his only chance of survival lay within the walls of Rivendell.

As quickly as possible Glorfindel returned to the place where he had left Asfaloth behind. The dogs barked at the elf in Glorfindel's arms, confused, not knowing what to make of this creature that smelled like a wolf and at the same time did not, and that did not look like one at all, and Asfaloth seemed to be as confused as them. It took some time and persuading for the horse to allow her master to put the wolfish creature on her back, but finally Glorfindel was seated on her back, the unconscious elf in his arms. Turning her towards the Last Homely House Glorfindel pushed his heels into her sides, urging her to fly home.

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Still the same, nothing is mine, all Tolkien's and Co.

Word count: 1696/6507

* * *

Chapter 4

Glorfindel hastily slipped from his horse's back, as soon as he rode into the courtyard, pulling the unconscious elf down with him to make his way as fast as possible with his charge in his arms towards the house. More than one elf had to jump out of his way to avoid being run over, giving him confused looks.

Glorfindel briefly considered bringing the elf to the Halls of Healing, but he quickly changed his mind and headed for his own chambers instead. It would take too much time to make room for him there, overfilled as it was due to the long and hard winter. The elf was cold as death and Glorfindel's own rooms were much closer.

He instantly set the elf down on his bed, pulling the covers over him to offer some first warmth. He hurried over to his wardrobe and pulled out any blankets, or clothes that could serve as one, to pile them over the elf in the bed as well, whose lips had a quite disturbing shade of blue. Luckily he always had some stones to warm in the fireplace since it had turned this cold and he hurried to pull them out, wrapped in towels or tunics, and to push them under the blankets, close to the elf's body.

He was barely finished when the door opened and Elrond strode into his room, looking alarmed. "What happened?" he asked the blond elf, studying him with a healer's gaze. "I have been told that you returned and that you were in immediate need of my help."

"Not me." Glorfindel extended a hand and pointed towards his bed.

Elrond quietly walked up to the bed, studying the stranger with a furrowed brow. Extending a hand he put it on his cheek, eyes widening in alarm when he felt the cold emanating from the elf in front of him. "What happened?"

"It is cold in the woods," Glorfindel simply answered.

Elrond stared at him, trying to make sense of his words. Then his mind made the connection. "Don't tell me this is-" He broke off with astonishment, his gaze travelling to the balcony from where the wood could be seen in the distance.

Glorfindel nodded silently, following Elrond's gaze, shuddering slightly as he thought about what it would have meant for the elf if he hadn't been found.

Elrond took a deep breath, visibly shaken by this news. "Valar. I…" Sitting down hard on the edge of the bed he stared at the elf, not knowing what to say in his surprise. "Just where did you find him?!"

"In the woods," Glorfindel answered calmly. "I told you he was there."

"You did," Elrond agreed, though some part of him still had a hard time believing Glorfindel's words. But he had seen many things in his long life as a healer and this certainly wasn't the most amazing thing to happen.

Swallowing hard he resolutely pushed those thoughts away. This was not the time for discussion. Wherever he had come from, the elf needed help, and he needed it now. Bending over the still form Elrond studied it closely. "Was he unconscious when you found him?"

Glorfindel nodded. "Unconscious and nearly frozen to death."

"He certainly would have if you had left him out there." Examining the elf closer Elrond added: "In fact, he might still do. We need to get him warmed up, and quickly."

Glorfindel nodded, gaze anxiously fixed on the elf's face, worry lying like a sick knot in his stomach at the sight of the lips, still the same shade of sickly blue as when he had brought him in.

Elrond rose from the bed, moving towards the door. "I'll get a few supplies and be back as soon as possible." Having left the room he ran as fast as he could towards the healing wing. The elf was cold as ice and he was already barely breathing or showing any other signs of being alive. If left in the woods, he would have died within the hour. It was nothing short of a miracle that Glorfindel had found him. It might have saved his life.

Glorfindel did not need to wait long for Elrond to return. A short time later he was back and the room began to fill with the scent of the herbs and supplies he had brought with him. Glorfindel swallowed hard, staring at the eerie utensils now sitting on the nightstand. They made him wish he would need this kind of attention.

Elrond worked quickly and efficiently, doing his best to warm up the frozen elves body. Glorfindel turned his head away in disgust not wanting to see watch Elrond's efforts to warm the elf, from the inside out. He was more than glad when they were finally finished and the elf rested undisturbed in the bed again, covered with warm blankets.

Elrond sat down on the end of the bed once more, putting a hand on the unconscious elf's face, content that his temperature seemed to risen somewhat. Shaking his head in disbelief he stared at him. "I still can't believe this whole story… an elf… alone in the woods… living with a pack of wolves…?" He watched the strange elf, then, receiving no answer, his gaze moved towards his friend. The blond's gaze was tightly fixed on the dark haired elf and Elrond smiled when he saw the doting and worried expression on his face.

"Most amazingly, he seems to be completely healthy, even if terribly malnourished and half frozen, but that is to be expected after a winter like this one." He certainly wouldn't have thought that possible, not after seeing some of the scars on the elf's body. Teeth marks. It was clear he had had his fare share in pack fights, and it was nothing short of a miracle that he seemed to be in such a good bodily condition. Bite wound could leave nasty infections in the right circumstances, even for an elf.

"I wonder where he comes from," Glorfindel said softly, interrupting Elrond's musings with his own thoughts.

Elrond furrowed his brow, staring at the elf lying as dead in the bed. "I'd like to know that as well. It seems strange that he could have spent so much time out there without anybody noticing him, or missing him. Surely he has family."

"There needs to be a way to find out."

"There should be," Elrond agreed. "I'll do my best to find out about our mysterious friend's identity."

Glorfindel nodded slowly in acceptance. As the immediate danger of the elf's death vanished now, he could take the time to properly study his charge. Despite his paleness and the slight blue of his lips he was also very beautiful.

"Will… you take him to the Healing wings?" he asked softly, finally pulling his gaze away from his bed and looking at Elrond.

Elrond sighed deeply, this question apparently already having plagued him for some time. "I'm not sure I have room for him. I can't remember the Halls of Healing ever being so filled up as just now, but this winter… He would certainly have to share his room, and I'm not sure this is the best course of action, neither for him, nor for his roommate. If he wakes up and finds himself in unfamiliar surroundings with unfamiliar people… We do not know how much wolf he really is on the inside."

"If you want…" Glorfindel calmly offered, "He can stay here for now."

Elrond smiled thankfully, clearly relieved that he did not think about where to put a wild elf like this one. "I'd be most grateful if he could stay here for a little while. The Valar know I am busy enough, without having to think about what he might do to the other sick in the Healing Halls."

He rose from the bed, starting to collect what he had brought with him. "I will send someone to take care of him, so that you are free again and don't need to spend your time here."

"I will look after him," Glorfindel quickly interrupted, feeling a strange need to take care of this elf himself. "It is no trouble."

Elrond hesitated a moment, already on his way out of the chamber. "Are you sure? I could easily find someone to do it for you."

"No." Glorfindel firmly shook his head. "I found him. I can't just leave him alone now."

Elrond nodded in agreement. "I don't think he will wake anytime soon, but if he does, please come and fetch me. And, don't worry," he added, as he saw the concerned expression with which Glorfindel rwas looking at the elf, and his furrowed brow. "If he survived up to now, chances are high he won't die anymore. Just let him sleep for now, and rest."

After Elrond had left the room once more, Glorfindel collapsed in his chair next to the bed. In some way this had always been his intention, he had wanted to find the elf and give him the chance to return to his own kind. Surely that was better than to be forced to live the hard and dangerous life of a wolf.

But now that this elf was really here, he started to doubt that he had done him any good, aside from saving his life. In the woods the elf had acted like a wolf, it was only too reasonable that he also thought like one. And a wolf would not be that delighted to wake up and find itself in a strange place, out of the woods, away from the security of its pack, surrounded by strange and in his opinion dangerous smells and creatures. The elf would probably get a heart attack in the morning.

Knowing that it would lead to nothing to rack his brain over this, Glorfindel settled back in his chair. There was no real possibility to know how the elf would react. The only way to find out was to wait. Eyes fixed on the sleeping elf in his bed Glorfindel waited for the morning to come, keeping vigil.

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	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Still the same, nothing is mine, all Tolkien's and Co.

Word count: 2609/9116

AN: Now we finally get to the wolf part. As already mentioned I'm trying to make this as authentic as possible, wolf behavior and pedagogy wise. I read a few books about wolves for this story so I could put some right behaviour in. Still, as I never got to observe real wolves and all I know comes from books it's probably still wrong most of the time, even considering the fact that I adjusted his behavior a little due to the fact he still is no real wolf but an elf.

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Chapter 5

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Glorfindel raised his head when the low pitiful moans penetrated his mind, blinking sleepily towards the bed where the sounds where emanating from. For some moments he felt confused, wondering how late it was, why he was looking at his bed and had therefore apparently not spent the night in it but in the chair he was sitting in and who was making these distressed sounds.

He was awake in an instant when he managed to grasp the memory of the naked elf lying half dead in the cold snow and how he had brought him home. Quickly sitting up in his chair Glorfindel looked more closely at the bed. The elf was a shivering lump under the blankets, moaning quietly, a strange, deep sound that did not sound very elven.

For some time Glorfindel did not move and simply watched the elf, or rather the blanket, which was moving slightly from time to time, showing where the elf was resting under them. He swallowed hard, sitting up in his chair, trying to come up with an idea for how to best approach this situation. The usual rules clearly did not apply here, as there was no way of knowing how this elf would react.

"Hello," Glorfindel finally said after some time, very softly, as if talking to a frightened animal, which wasn't even that far away from the truth. But if the elf even heard him he did not show it in any way. When even after repeated callings he failed to show any reaction Glorfindel slowly rose from his chair, walking over to the bed. He wasn't even sure if he was awake or having a nightmare, as the elf was completely covered by the blanket, when he carefully extended a hand to gently touch a bulge under the blankets that seemed to be one of the elf's ankles.

The elf reacted instantly, throwing the blanket away from him and hurling himself at Glorfindel with a growling, dangerous sound. The blond managed to get away from the elf's snapping teeth just in time before they closed over his face, pressing against the wall as far away from the bed as possible.

With wide eyes Glorfindel stared at the feral creature that was now crouching on his bed, on all fours, pressed back against the headboard. The green eyes flashed dangerously and he growled loudly, lips pulled back over his teeth. Glorfindel could see how his body shook with the effort of sitting up and probably a violent fever, too, considering the elf's flushed face.

Glorfindel felt confused, not knowing what to do. The elf looked as if he would rip him into pieces if he moved as much as a finger, but he couldn't possibly stand there all day.

But the elf's behaviour confirmed one thing Glorfindel had already suspected: He acted nothing like an elf, more like a wolf, and Glorfindel absolutely wasn't sure how much elf there was left inside of him. He doubted it was very much, though. Any sane elf would not have stayed with a pack of wolves, but would have gone for help.

For a long time the blond and the black-haired elf just stared at each other, none daring to move, Glorfindel's gaze constantly travelling towards the door. Just now it seemed they would both starve or die of thirst before an end to this appeared. Very slowly and very carefully he made a tiny step towards the door. At once the elf's snarl, which had quietened to a soft growl almost sounding like a cat's purr, grew louder once more, filling the room with its threat.

Glorfindel instantly froze, not daring to move any further. Once more they both stood there, motionless, until suddenly the elf moved, sinking back down onto the mattress. He was panting heavily and Glorfindel could only imagine how exhausting and straining this situation needed to be for the elf. He desperately needed to lie down and sleep some more, but he doubted that he'd do so with him in the room.

Glorfindel made another step towards the door and as expected, the elf growled again, lips pulling back over his teeth as far as he could, but he remained lying on the bed. Glorfindel swallowed hard. This whole situation was going completely different then he had imagined. Even though he knew this elf had lived with wolves he somehow would have expected him to be slightly more… elven.

He was still considering if he should try to make another step and continue to move further towards the door or take the risk and run for it, when there was a knock on the door. Glorfindel's eyes widened in alarm when the elf on the bed rose on all fours once more, growling louder than ever before, eyes snapping towards the door. The door started to open and seeing the way the elf's attention was fixed on it and how he looked as if he was ready to attack at any further movement or sound Glorfindel did not lose any time and darted towards the door. The door had opened just enough to allow him to slip through when he reached it and he quickly pushed a surprised Elrond far away from the door, making him fall to the ground, before slamming the door shut behind him, just in time. An instant later he heard the elf hit the door, snarling and clawing.

Panting hard from the shock Glorfindel leaned against the door, holding it closed even though it was unlikely the elf inside knew what a door was not to talk about opening it.

Elrond had remained lying on the floor where he had ended up in Glorfindel's haste to get out of the room and was staring at the blond with big astonished eyes. "What on Arda happened in there?" he asked, his voice a mixture of utter confusion and worry.

"Well," Glorfindel started, trying to find words for what had occurred between him and the other elf. "I guess he really is a wolf."

Slowly Elrond rose from the floor, careful not to step on the hem of his robes and trip over them. "Did he try to attack you?" he asked his friend. He had quickly found his usual calm and resolution again and his voice now carried a warning tone.

"Erestor didn't mean any harm," Glorfindel quickly protected the elf he had come to think of as his charge as he noticed the hostile glance Elrond cast at the closed door.

Elrond arched an eyebrow and looked at his friend. "Erestor?"

Glorfindel blushed slightly as he realized what he had just said and shrugged uncertainly. "That's… what I have been calling him in my mind." He had no idea where this name came from, it had just been in his head one day, and he had stuck in his mind.

"It is a nice name," Elrond reassured him. "He might have been better off living with deer with a name like this, though." A small grin crossed the half elf's face, but he quickly grew serious again. "But… Still. Why did he attack you? Did you do anything to him?"

Glorfindel shook his head and opened his mouth to speak, but Elrond interrupted him.

"He might be dangerous." The half elf clearly was not comfortable saying this. "We do not know who he is and what happened to him. He might be a danger to everybody living here."

"He is not dangerous," Glorfindel stated firmly with a warning, protective tone in his voice. "Definitely not more than any real wolf would be. He is just frightened. He is hurt and sick; he woke up in a place he never saw before, where everything is strange to him, with someone sitting next to his bed. If he lived with wolves he probably learned to keep away from us. He just wants to protect himself." He looked back at the door, thinking. "Still, it might be better if I looked for a new home, for the time being."

Elrond looked slightly doubtful at these last words. "There's not much room left. Most of the families with houses out in the valley came here for the winter. I'd need to see if there are rooms left first."

Glorfindel shook his head, sighing quietly. "Don't worry about it. I'll find something." His gaze was fixed on the door, looking a little uncomfortable at the thought of leaving Erestor alone in his rooms. "Do you have a key? Mine is inside. I don't think he can open the door but… it might still be better to lock it."

Elrond nodded. "I'll get it." Leaving Glorfindel to guard the door he quickly vanished down the hallway to fetch the key to the blond's rooms.

Having successfully locked the door they left Erestor in peace for the time being, making their way to Elrond's office, where Glorfindel instantly collapsed into an armchair, still a little shaky from his almost encounter with Erestor's teeth.

Silently Elrond moved through the room, pouring a generous cup of miruvor for both of them. Leaning back against a shelf, he carefully looked at the blond elf. "Well. What do you want to do about him?"

Raking his hair, Glorfindel reached out to take his own miruvor with a shaky hand, taking a long sip. "I don't know," he finally admitted.

Elrond sighed. "This is a difficult situation, Glorfindel. I completely agree with you that he only acts this way because he is afraid and sick, but he still presents a danger for everybody trying to approach him. As the ruler of this valley I can't possibly tolerate such a threat."

"And what do you want to do instead?" Glorfindel spat, mildly surprised by the force of his words himself. "Kill him? Put him out into the woods once more?"

Elrond remained silent at this, looking down into his cup. For a long time neither Elrond nor Glorfindel spoke, both lost in their broodings.

"I realize that we can't simply throw him out," Elrond continued after some time, calmer now. "But this situation is still dangerous, for us as well as for him. He is not used to closed spaces and he could hurt himself in your room. Just imagine if he tried to escape through the balcony and ran against the glass…" He fell silent once more, moving a hand over his face, shaking his head. "I'd put a wolf outside in one of the dog cages, but... He is no wolf. We can't treat him like a stray dog. But we can't treat him like the elf he is, either." He sighed heavily. "I really don't know what to do about this, Glorfindel."

Taking a large sip of his miruvor to calm himself, Glorfindel looked at Elrond, desperately, silently. Once again both elves were lost in their broodings, trying to think of a way to solve this situation. "I'll take care of him" Glorfindel continued softly after what felt like hours. "If anything happens, it will be completely my fault."

Elrond shook his head. "No, my friend. I can't leave you alone with this. For one thing, you wouldn't even be able to take care of him all on your own. He'd never let you. Furthermore, if anything happened it would still be my mistake, because I gave the responsibility to you. Whatever we do about this, you can't do it alone." Sighing, he drained his glass. "I need to examine him once more, but in his current state I have no idea how to do this without getting attacked by him. We'd need to hold him down and force him to allow me to touch him. It would be horribly stressful for him."

Glorfindel nodded approvingly, putting his empty glass on the small table next to him. "He will be hungry."

Elrond looked up at him, not instantly understanding the relation to what he had just said. "Excuse me?"

"He will be hungry," Glorfindel repeated, "He is so skinny, he won't have eaten much in the past. And he certainly hasn't eaten anything since I brought him here. Couldn't you add something to his food to make him calm down? You do it like that with the animals if they're sick." He hated the thought of treating the sick elf like a wild animal, but at the moment there didn't seem to be another way if they wanted to make sure he survived.

"You're right," Elrond approved, rising from his chair. "I'll get some meat from the kitchen and prepare it. We can only hope that he isn't too sick to eat."

"Meat?" Glorfindel furrowed his brow. "Are you sure he will be able to eat it? Shouldn't we give him something light, like…" He trailed of, not quite able to think of anything they could possibly get Erestor to eat.

Elrond smiled at him, slightly amused. "Like chicken soup? I realize meat wouldn't be an appropriate diet for any other elf in his situation, but we can't forget that he apparently spent most of his life out in the woods." A shadow appeared on his face. "Do you remember when Celebrian returned after having been caught?"

Glorfindel nodded slowly, not able to answer. The capturing of her company and the loss of many lives was never easy to talk about. Too much grieve was connected with it.

"When they were finally rescued and returned to Rivendell… Most of the elves weren't able to eat anything else but water and bread, because that was what they had been given for months." Elrond took a deep breath, trying to chase away the dark memories and to concentrate on the matter at hand. "It is the same with Erestor. Wolves eat basically anything, but it is winter. There aren't many things but the flesh of dead animals out there to eat at the moment. Offering him anything else would probably cause digestive problems. And I don't think he needs those on top of his current situation. And it would be cruel to add to his fear and confusion by offering him food he possibly has never seen in his life. He might not even know it is edible."

Glorfindel nodded hesitantly. "You're words sound wise. I still don't like it. Having to treat him like some wild animal, not leaving him any choice on this matter…"

"I know." Elrond smiled at him in sympathy. "But the best thing is for him to rest and heal. He is frightened and exhausted, and sick as well."

"Still." Glorfindel pulled a face. It made him hurt when he thought about how Erestor must feel about all this.

"I'll get the food and try to find something we can slip him. There are not many herbs or healing draughts we could use. He'd smell or taste most of it and it would ruin every chance of him taking it." Leaving the room Elrond left Glorfindel to his thoughts.

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AN: Small comment on that deer sentence: It the result of me (a long time ago) spending hours trying to find out what ‚Erestor' meaned, as Tolkien unfortunately never mentioned this. The only thing I came up with was 'brother of the deer'. It's completely wrong, because it requires false conjugation and mixing several elven languages, but the meaning somehow stuck and was one of the reasons I came up with this story. So I thought I'd put it in and give his name this meaning in this story, because if I don't I'll probably never get to used it because, like I said, it's completely wrong.

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End file.
